Roller unit for furnaces



Nov. 28, 1950 w. J. MILLAR ROLLER UNIT FOR FURNACES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 17, 1947 INVENTOR.

N l I :am J- A W MAJ ATT RNEYS Nov. 28, 1950 w. J. MILLAR ROLLER UNIT FOR FURNACES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 17, 1947 IN VEN TOR.

M Ir Wm .Ww HA w! m Patented Nov. 28, 1950 ROLLER UNIT FOR FURNACES William James Millar, London, England, assignor of one-half to Electric Resistance Furnace Company Limited, London, England, a company of Great Britain Application July 1'7, 1947, Serial No. 761,518 In Great Britain January 11, 1943 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires January 11, 1963 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a roller unit for furnace conveyors.

The invention has for its primary object to provide an improved arrangement and construction of roller unit, which is of particular utility for furnaces of considerable lateral width, whereby difliculties resulting from distortion of rollers under the high temperature involved may be avoided.

More specifically, the invention has for its object to provide an improved roller unit extending transversely of the furnace chamber and constituted by a number of axially spaced individual rollers independently mounted in suitable bearing means and mechanically coupled together and to a driving shaft by coupling means, such as muff couplings.

The invention is hereinafter described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation, partly in section, illustrating a roller unit constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing one arrangement for driving a number of roller units in unison, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view showing the arrangement of the driving means in relation to the furnace.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, each roller unit extending transversely of the furnace comprises a roller l adjacent to one side of the furnace, and one or more rollers 2, axially spaced from the roller I, each of the rollers being fixedly mounted on a short spindle 4 mounted in suitable bearings 5. The spindle t of each roller is provided with extensions 6 at each end which are of square cross-section and project beyond the bearings 5. Adjacent axially spaced rollers are mechanically coupled together by coupling means, such as mufi couplings I each of which comprises a metal bar or rod 8 provided at each end with a socket or head 9 having a recess of square cross-section to engage the corresponding extension 6 of the respective spindle 5.

At the driving end of the unit the outer extension 6 of the adjacent roller spindie 4 engages the socket or head of a coupling bar or rod II which extends through a passage E ia in the insulated Wal 24 0f the furnace, and at its outer end is provided with a socket or head l2 for engaging a square extension l3 of a driving spindle l4. This driving spindle I4 is at its outer end fitted with a driving sprocket l5 and is mounted in a bearing unit 22 supported externally in the furnace, for instance, by bolting to joists 23a with the intermediary of a plate 23 of asbestos or other heat-insulating material. The bearing unit 22 is provided with a boss 22a for the driving spindle l4 and also with bosses 22b for the support of stub shafts Ila on which jockey pulleys H are mounted. As shown in Fig. 2, the bearing units 22 may be shaped so as to fit closely together and may be in the form of interchangeable units, only certain of the bosses 22b being utilised as required.

An endless chain It engages the upper portion of each sprocket l5 and is maintained in oprative relation thereto by means of jockey Wheels or pulleys H. The chain l6 passes around a drivin sprocket l3 mounted on a shaft |8a (Fig. 3) which is adapted to be driven from an electric motor it, for instance, by means of a belt drive Eta to a gearbox l9 having a shaft l9a from which the shaft 52a is driven by means of a belt 5%. A jockey wheel 2| is provided for adjusting the tension of the chain 5 as required, said jockey wheel if having its spindle carried by an arm 25 and adjustable in a slot 25a in an arm 255, said arms 25, 2522 being mounted to swing on the stub axles Ila carrying the adjacent jockey wheels or pulleys H.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A roller unit for a furnace conveyor comprising a number of axially spaced rollers, a separate spindle for each of said rollers, an independent hearing for each spindle, said bearings being axially aligned with said spindles and the ends of each spindle being carried in the hearing associated therewith, a driving spindle in axial alignment with said roller spindles, and independent coupling members, axially aligned with said spindles and extending respectively between said bearings and adapted to couple said roller spindles together in axial alignment, and a coupling member adapted to couple the end spindle with said driving spindle.

2. A roller unit according to claim '1 wherein said driving spindle forms an axial extension of said roller spindles.

3. A roller unit according to claim 1 wherein the ends of said roller spindles are of non-circular cross-section and said coupling members engage said ends of non-circular cross-section.

4. A roller unit according to claim 1 wherein the ends of said spindles are of square crosssection and said coupling members comprise. rods having ends which are correspondingly recessed to engage said ends of square cross-section.

WILLIAM JAMES MILLAR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are, Of. record in the;

file of this patent:

4 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,565,364 Henderson Dec. 15, 1925 1,818,806 Kathner Aug. 11, 1931 1,828,510 Sammon Oct. 20, 1931 1,863,520 Camerota June 14, 1932 1,922,039 Harris Aug. 15, 1933 2,267,429 Stebler Dec. 23, 1941 2,412,013 Shade Dec. 3, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number. Country Date 605,501 Germany Nov. 29, 1934 

